Automobile traffic signal



Nov. 23 1926. 1,608,137

R. T. PULLEN AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC SIGNAL 4V vjiled Feb. 5, 1926 67 L I 1.Flfz.

` Inventor @yw mi@ Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

nirso STATES.

y ROY T. PULLEN, or SPENCER, IOWA.

AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed Febriiary' 5, 1926. Serial No. 816,178.

My invention relates to an automobile traffic signal, and it is myobject to provide such a device which is of simple, durable andinexpensive construction.

5 More particularly, it is my object to provide a signal having an armwhich is adapt* ed to be attached to the windshield post of a vehicleand tomove from position where it is aligned with said post to ahorizontal po- 10 sition extending away from the side of the vehicle. z

A further object is to provide a signal having such a .signal arm,provided with means for readily' lattaching it to such a post, saidmeans adapted to be extended through the post and to be. operated fromthe interior of the car for swinging the signal arm from inoperative tooperative position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a signal having a signalarm of width substantially equal to the ordinary wind shield post, so asto obtain a maximum indicating surface, and which is so constructed thatits pivoting member may extend through the post at one side of thecenter thereof nea-r thewindshield, so that Vthe operation of the signalfrom the interior of the enclosed vehicle will not be interfered with bythe side wall of said vehicle.

A still further object is to so construct the signal that the meansallowing the` pivoting member to be so offset relative to the post willalso serve, in' connection with a side wall of a casing covering thesignal ,iorizontal position above mentioned.

A still further object is to provide a signal having a signal armprovided with an electric lamp, energized by means of conducting wiresextending through the pivoting meinber of the signal arm, a shell beingprovided to form, together with the windshield'post, a casing to receivethe signal arm.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a windshield post andadjacent windshield with my signal attached thereto, parts being brokenaway to bet-ter'illustrate the construction.

arm, to limit'the movement of the arm to the Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view talen on the line- 2-2 of Fig. 1, the signal armk beingshown in raised position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view teilten on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of part of the pivoting means.

Iam aware that it is not new to provide a signal to be used inconnection with an automotive vehicle for indicatingto the tra'iic theintention of a driver to turn or stop, and am aware, also, that it isnot new to operate such a signal from the interior of a closed car.However, by providing the signal, which I will now describe, I obtainthe advantages of extreme simplicity, ease of attachment and attachmentin such a manner that the signal will project beyond the .side

of the vehicle and yet will not interfere with the visio-n of thedriver.

I accomplish this byv mounting the signal on the forward face of thewindshield post, 10, of the vehicle. The windshield is illnetrated at11. A hole, 12, is Vdrilled through the post, from front to rear, at oneside of the center thereof. A bushing, 13, is provided, which has at oneend a shoulder, 14, and is threaded at the other end to receive a nut,15. The bushing, 13, is extended through the opening, 12, and secured inplace by means of the nut, 15.l y

` A sleeve, 16, isjournaled in the bushing, 13, and is provided at oneend with a shoulder, 17, beyond which projects a threaded portion toreceive the nut, 18. Between the shoulder, 17, and nut, 18, is securedthe signal arm, 19, which is preferably made of sheet met-al in theshape indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

To the inner end of the sleeve, 16, is secured, between nuts, 20 and21,a crank lever, 22, by means of which the signal arm is actuated fromthe interior of the car. In order to prevent rotationof the lever, 22,and arm, 19, relative to the sleeve, the ends of the sleeve may beflattened, at 23 in Fig. 4, and the arm and lever provided withVcorrespondingly.shaped openings to receive thel flattened portions.

It will be seen that the signal arm may be installed in a few moments bysimply boring an opening in the post, 10, and inserting the bashing andsleeve in place, after whichlthe crank lever, 22, may be securedthereto.` If desired, the arm, 19, be secured permanently to the sleeve,13.

A shell, 2 4, having the side wall, 25, and the upper and lower' walls,26, terminating in flanges, 27, is secured to the post, 10, by means otscrews, 28, extended through the flanges, 27. rl`he shell, 2-1, is otthe same width as the post, 10, and the post serves as one side of acasing which the shell forms therewith.

The object in positioning the bushing, 13, and sleeve, 16, adjacent theside ot the post neXt the windshield is to center the same relative tothe inner tace ot the post, which is much narrower' than thevouter tacethereof, due to the fact that in the ordinary enclosed vehicle the sidewall, 29, is formed integrally with the post, as indicated in Fig. lt isdesirable, however, to have a signal arm oit' as great a width as can beconveniently hidden behind the post, 10, and a signal arm thereforeprovided with an otiset portion, 30, y means ot which it is secured tothe sleeve, 16. The oiiset portion is formed with spiral shaped edge,31, and the side wall, 25, is so positioned relative to the sleeve, 16,that this edge, 31, will Contact therewith when the signal arm isnearing horizontal position. By virtue ot' the cam shape ot the edge,31, the pressure induced by this Contact will gradually increase, andthe arm will thus be stopped gradually without arring.

rihis will insure the electric lamp, 32, which is secured in a socket,on the end ot the signal arm, ren'iaining in working order.

lli/Tires, 3l, extend trom the socket, 33, and through the sleeve, 1G.rlfhe wires, 34, are connected to a source ot current, preferably in thesame circuit with the headlights ot the vehicle, so that the lamp, 32,will remain constantly illuminated while the headlights are on.

Vihen a motorist desires to turn, he simply moves the lever, 22,inwardly vtoward the center' ot' the vehicle, and upwardly, whichwill'cause the arm, 19, to swing outwardly and downwardly linto viewfrom the iront and rear ot the vehicle.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purposeof my invention, and it is my intention to'eover by my claims anymodified forms of structure or use or melimit the movement of the arm atsaid horizontal position.

2. A signal tor an enclesed vehicle having a windshield post, comprisinga casing securedv to said post in vertical position, a substantiallyL-shaped signal arm normally contained within the easing in a verticalposition and pivoted therein for movement trom said vertical position toa position projee-ting horizontally :tr-om the easing, and means for sopivoting the arm, said means being secured to the short leg ot the L andextended through the post near the inner side thereof so as to centerthe signal within the casing when in its vertical position, the shortleg ot the L being adapted to engage the wall ot the casing to limit themovement of the arm in said horizontal position.

3. A signal for an enclosed vehicle having a windshield post, comprisinga casino' securedto said post in vertical position, a substantiallyL-shaped signal arm normally contained within the casing in averticalposition and pivoted therein A tor movement from said vertical positionto a position projecting horizontally 'from the casing, and means for sopivoting the armsaid means being secured to the short leg of the L andextended through the post near the inner side thereoia so as to centerthe signal within the casing when in its vertical position, the shortleg ot the L being cam shaped and adapted to gradually engage a wall ofthe casing as the arm aproachessaid horizontal position, and tol limitthe move'- ment of thearm at said horizontal position.

Signed at Spencer, in the county ot Clay and State of iowa, this 30thday ot J anuary, 1926.

ROY T. PULLEN.

